Cigarette ban backfires behind bars as inmates smoking Spice DOUBLES

SNUFF: Inmates are ignoring minister's calls for them to swap to E-cigs and nicotine patches

The switch comes amid the Government's bid to improve the health of the prisoners by making Britain's jails smoke-free.

Rebellious cons are snubbing minister's call for them to make do with E-cigs and nicotine patches.

Now the number of lags getting high on New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) has doubled, the Independent Monitoring Board revealed.

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The problem was first identified at HMP Dartmoor in Devon where smoking was banned in 2016, the Sunday People reported.

“After a somewhat hesitant start, smoke-free seems to have benefitted many prisoners and staff," The Independent Monitoring Board said in a report.

“However the downside was a sharp ­increase in the usage of NPS and seemingly also its potency, resulting in near fatal casualties, frequent and costly hospitalisations, increased disturbance and some violent disorder on the wings.

“There has been a large rise in the number of recorded incidents dealt with by Healthcare staff. Two thirds of incidents involved the use of NPS.

"There were several emergency hospitalisations and some close medical calls.

“Since the introduction of smoke-free there was almost a doubling of rulings against prisoners in which they lose benefits, predominantly in NPS related offences, resulting in a large increase in the number of days added to sentences.”

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SMOKE-FREE: Government want to encourage healthy living

Former legal highs such as Black Mamba and Spice were connected with 76 deaths between 2004 and 2013, Office of National Statistics found.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "We have put a range of robust measures in place, including the use of search dogs.

“And tough new laws will see those who smuggle packages over prison walls, ­including new psychoactive substances, face up to two years in prison.”